Around 6 months is an exciting time – your baby is sitting up independently (or with some minimal support) and ready to start solids! It could also be an anxious time for parents: it’s one more thing to do with them that doesn’t quite come with a manual. So here are our top three tips that will get you and your little one to a good start on your weaning journey.
1. Don’t fret too much over Baby Led Weaning (BLW) vs. Puree
You will have heard the benefits of BLW now – maybe you’ve decided that this is how you want to do it, or maybe you’ve ruled it out. My advice is to not worry about it too much and let the baby take the lead. I know it sounds strange, but being responsive to their cues is something that really pays off. I’ve seen it with my two children. There will be kids who prefer purees and kids who would only eat if they can feed themselves. Being responsive to their needs is more important than deciding the form that their food comes in!
2. Green first
A so-called “veg-led” approach is where you introduce savoury, bitter tastes first when starting solids. Babies have an innate preference for sweet food as breast milk is sweet. By introducing those bitter tastes of vegetables early, we help them accept those tastes later on in life (especially during the fussy toddler years). Start your journey by steaming or boiling some broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus… Leave some in finger shapes and mash up the rest and you’ve got yourself a set of baby meals two ways!
3. Introduce allergies early
For a long time, the “wisdom” was to avoid allergens until children are older. However recent studies have found that introducing allergens early on can actually cut allergen cases significantly. Read more about the recent study around peanut introduction here. We recommend introducing allergens from the second week of your weaning journey. Remember to introduce allergens slowly (with 3 days in between each) and gradually (first exposure should be ¼ - ½ teaspoon).
We hope you get to a great start to your weaning. As you move on from the initial days of single vegetables, you may find our post “things you didn’t know about baby nutrition” helpful. And if you want a “manual” of how to wean, what to serve, when to introduce allergens – check out our Ultimate Weaning Kit
